Towards a new National Community Health Service

hospitals, with a strong record of reducing
waiting lists. We want to extend this practice
to more of our large hospitals and spread the
benefits of an innovative approach across our
entire hospital service.
Any realistic plans for the Irish health service
will naturally involve recruiting and retaining
a higher number of skilled staff. Recent years
have seen greater difficulties in retaining
quality doctors within our health service.
As a matter of urgency, we will instigate a
comprehensive review of pay and working
conditions across Irish hospitals to identify the
specific improvements to be made in order to
keep more of our doctors working within the
Irish system.
Dignified maternity services
A mark of a society is how well it treats its
expectant women. In the wake of a number
of terrible preventable tragedies, Ireland has
made some progress in advancing the rights
and protections for pregnant women with the
enactment of the Protection of Life during
Pregnancy Act in 2013 and the publication of
the new National Maternity Strategy.
Labour has been to the fore in pushing
these critically important issues. However,
the current constitutional mess in relation
to termination in Ireland means that it
is impossible for the Oireachtas to pass
legislation that sufficiently protects the rights
of women in pregnancy; in particular their
rights to life and to health.
Labour will hold a referendum to remove
Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution and, if that is
approved, we will put comprehensive legislation
to the Houses of the Oireachtas to sufficiently
protect the rights of women in pregnancy.
Labour in Government will implement in full
the recommendations of the new National
Maternity Strategy. In particular, we will work
to overhaul the current service model so that
women see the most appropriate professional
based on their need.
We will ensure higher compliance with
internationally recognised ratios of staff to
patients and review birthing environments and
care choices available to women. We will also
ensure greater standardisation of care across
maternity units in the State and introduce a
new health and wellbeing approach to prenatal
and post-natal care with the establishment
of specific mother and baby clinics within
primary care centres.
We will also establish a Human Fertilisation
and Embryology Board to oversee those
operating in this sector, and we will establish
a new system of State support for couples to
access assisted reproductive technology. We
will also cap the cost of the morning after
pill to make sure it is an affordable, accessible
option for any woman in need of it.
We will
establish a mental
health awareness
and advertising
programme to
build resilience
and breakdown
prejudices
Mental health – early intervention
Early intervention is critical to mental health
wellbeing. In government, we have prioritised
the delivery of mental health services for
young people at community and primary care
level. Many young people need support to get
them through a difficult or challenging time in
their lives and quite often this support is most
appropriately provided at community level.
Towards a new National Community Health Service 9
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